3 in New York treated for anthrax; Reno tests negative

NEW YORK -- A police officer and two lab technicians involved in the NBC anthrax investigation have tested positive for the bacteria, Mayor Rudolph Giuliani said Sunday.

Nevada officials said four people who may have come into contact with a contaminated letter at a Microsoft office in Reno, Nev., tested negative while results were due today for two others.

The New York cases brought to 12 the number of people around the nation who either have anthrax or have been exposed to it.

That does not include a second NBC employee who is taking antibiotics after displaying possible symptoms of the disease.

The anthrax scare began Oct. 4 when it was confirmed that a Florida tabloid editor had contracted the inhaled form of the bacteria.

His death a day later was the first resulting from the disease in the United States since 1976.

Seven other employees of American Media Inc. have tested positive for exposure and are being treated with antibiotics.

None have developed the disease. A second round of blood tests for more than 300 of the company's employees is expected this week.

News of the exposures has caused jitters around the world, with a number of false or pending cases reported over the weekend.